Here's To You
by peridotdream
Summary: When one life ends...another begins.


Hey guys! This (right now) is just a oneshot (I _was_ going to continue it, but it just wasn't coming, so I gave up. for now.) So what do you think? comments and review is alwaysalwaysalways welcome!! ((Cookies to Mars, my beta! thanks, chica!!))

disclaimer: tis not mine, never was, never will be. )

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**Here's to You, and Here's to Me**

Draco slid into his usual seat at the bar as Dave the bartender wandered over with a whiskey sour.

"Not tonight," he said, waving the drink away. Dave gave him an odd look.

"You alright?" He asked, putting the glass back down and leaning on the bar. Draco just shrugged and asked for a shot.

His thoughts wandered as Dave walked off, and he only vaguely heard the nightly news come on. Despite the warm breeze entering the bar from the mild June night, Draco shivered. Three years. Three years since he changed his life forever. Three years since he made the biggest decision he'd ever made in his life. Three years, to the day, since heleft the Wizarding World in search of something. At least, that's what he told himself. Maybe he really was just a coward, running from a fight.

Draco had adjusted to living as a Muggle quite well, if he did say so himself. Learning to pour a glass of water after cleaning up the mess of a broken glass and the new system of currency were the hardest things for him, though electricity had given them a run for their money. Looking back, it was overwhelming, but he'd done enough to survive.

Dave brought him a shot and he downed it without a second thought. The sooner he was drunk, the better off he'd be.

He didn't know why he still came to that particular bar. It's not like it was the only one in the country. Sure, he'd made friends there, or at least, he knew people's names there, but what did that mean? Sure, Dave's bright red hair and Julie's bright green eyes kept him in check every time things were good, but did he even need that anymore? Did he need any of it?

One look at his shot glass told him he did.

He flagged Dave down for a second shot as he glanced up at the television. He hated watching the news, but it also fascinated him. Seeing the faces of his old schoolmates pop up almost weekly was something Draco would never understand.

Tonight it was Pansy's turn, and Draco had to stifle a snort when she was described as "armed and dangerous". Pansy Parkinson had always been easily... _influenced_ . And Draco was sure that if he flashed enough cash in her face, he could escape the tip of her wand - anyone could. Describing Pansy as anything but a gold**_-_**digger was like describing him as "tan".

"What? You know her?" An all-too-familiar voice chirped from behind him. He winced.

"Don't you ever say 'hello'?" Draco muttered.

"Not usually." Julie replied fairly as she slid onto the bar stool next to him. He stared at her sideways before shaking his head and turning back to his second shot.

"Ooo," Julie said, eyeing the shot glass. "Bad day?" Draco looked up at her and shrugged.

"Something like that." He went back to his drink as Dave wandered over with her usual martini. They made small talk for a minute before he wandered off again, but Draco couldn't help but look at the two of them and remember two others from his past, who bared a striking resemblance to the pair. He shook his head as if to clear it, but that only gave him a headache. He drank the liquid he'd been given and tuned into whatever it was Julie was saying.

"...So I just told him I'd see him tomorrow and ran out." She finished. Draco nodded, pretending he'd heard the whole story. Julie just shook the disgusted look off of her face and played with the olive in her glass. "Your day _must_ have at least been better than _that_ ." She commented dryly. Draco just smirked.

"Oh, I wouldn't bet on it." He said, inclining his head a bit.

"Aw, I hate these stories." Julie said suddenly. Draco gave her a questioning look.

"What?" He asked. She sipped her martini and nodded her head towards the television, where a middle aged man was describing the disappearance of a young woman. Draco was about to dismiss it when they flashed her picture across the screen. His heart stopped and his face automatically scrunched into a scowl as he saw a young redheaded girl on the screen. She was smiling nicely, as if she were at a formal event and counting the seconds until she could politely excuse herself - a look Draco himself knew all too well.

He couldn't tear his eyes away from the girl he used to know - couldn't think, couldn't fathom what had happened. After a long moment (and a number to call with any information regarding the missing girl), the story ended and Draco began to breathe again.

"Turn that rubbish off," he snapped at Dave, who raised an eyebrow but otherwise didn'tmove. Draco scowled, knowing any protests would fall on deaf ears, so he just settled for another shot of vodka.

Draco took to ignoring both Dave and Julie in protest as he usually did, and they engaged in a brief conversation about what could possibly have happened to a beautiful girl like that. Draco almost smirked but found he didn't have the heart - he wasn't supposed to be thinking about this anymore. Any of it.

After his fourth shot he began to feel a bit better. He wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or the fact that Julie had finally shut up, but figured it was some combination of the two. He ran one hand through his hair, trying to think about miscellaneous things, trivial things - things that would make it seem like the alcohol had had some affect on his very tolerant body.

After about ten minutes, Draco finally felt more relaxed. His sixth shot and all was well. He figured Julie was getting another martini when Dave shuffled over to them - he didn't notice the oddly blank look on the redhead's face.

"Hey," Dave said to the two of them, almost under his breath. "Should I call that number? I think it's her."

"What?" Draco asked, confused.

"I don't know," Julie replied, looking anxious and using the same quiet tone Dave had. "It might not be, I can't tell from here."

"You think who's who?" Draco asked, a little too loudly. Julie gave him a pointed look, but he ignored her. Dave nodded his head to a table behind them, and Draco turned his head to look over his shoulder. He nearly fell off his barstool when he saw a large black cloak, poorly covering a mess of long, red hair.

"Holy shit," he breathed.

"So?" Dave pressed. "What do you think I should do?" Draco cursed every fate he could think of - every person he ever met, every drink he'd ever...drunk.

This was not supposed to be his problem - _she_ was not supposed to be his problem. _She_ was supposed to stay in his past, where she belonged.

"I think you should call," Julie said seriously. "Everyone's looking for her." Draco had little time to decide whether or not to save Ginny Weasley's life as he watched Julie pull out her cell phone. He sighed dramatically.

" _Damnit._" He said, all too emphatically. Dave and Julie gave him odd looks, but he was too busy trying to swallow the emotions that were tearing at him to notice.

"I think you should let me handle it." He said flatly, downing another shot.

"You're plastered." Julie retorted.

"I wish." He muttered. "But really, I'll take care of it. Bring the girl some water, and leave her to me."

"Why?" Julie said suspiciously. Draco just sneered at her.

"It doesn't matter."

"It most certainly does. That girl has the whole city looking for her, her family is probably falling apart --" Julie argued, but Draco cut her off.

"Jules, knock it off. Just let me handle it." He snapped as he stood up.

"Hey!" Julie yelled, standing up and facing him defiantly. "Why are you being such a jerk?" Draco took another step towards her menacingly.

"Because I know her." He hissed, and then eased up. "Or at least, I used to." Julie froze - Draco never spoke of his past. It was something he avoided at all costs, storming out if he had to. Draco watched her gulp and sit back down before he told Dave to get him a glass of water. Once he had the glass in hand, he made his way over to her table.

Her overly large black cloak didn't cover a tangled lock of hair that spilled out, but between the hood and her hair, her face was securely hidden. Draco figured that's why she hadn't been turned in by anyone yet - no one had been able to see her face. He sat down across from her and leaned back, placing the glass quietly in front of her.

"I'm sorry," he heard her say from beneath her hood. Her arms were closed around her middle, as if she were hugging herself or trying to keep warm. As it was June, he figured it was probably closer to the former.

"I'm sorry," she repeated a little louder. "I just needed a place to sit for a moment. I don't have any money --"

"You know, I had my money on the Mudblood." Draco said fairly. He saw her tense considerably as her eyes shot up and he finally saw a bit of her face. It was swollen and smudged, but sure enough, he was looking at Ginny Weasley. Older now, but still so young. She stared at him in shock and confusion.

"What?" She asked. She sounded frightened and confused, Draco couldn't understand why. He'd dyed his hair to a light, golden brown and let it grow a bit - surely he didn't look _that_ different.

"I said," he began, slowly, "that I had my money on the Mudblood." She paused for a moment, confused and almost frightened at his language. He sighed, frustrated. "I just thought that if any of you lot were to give up on your bloody _Cause_, it would be Granger." Her hand hit her mouth as realization dawned on her face and he smirked in triumph – he'd been recognized.

"You're dead." She stated, both her hand and her voice shaking. "No, no, no - you're dead." She was shaking her head now, looking as though she was going to try and stand up.

"I wouldn't, if I were you." He advised. "And I'm very obviously _not_ dead." He paused before continuing. "If I were you, I would drink that water and talk to me, because I'm the only thing standing between you and those two at the bar calling the Ministry." Her eyes widened as her gaze shot to the bar in search of the people he was talking about. She found them and her eyes darted between them and Draco, and she reluctantly picked up the glass.

"Why aren't you dead?" She whispered, staring at him in awe and determination.

"Why aren't you?" He replied. Her face fell and she stared into her glass of water. They sat in silence for a few moments before a voice interrupted them.

"Everything okay over here?" Julie chirped. Draco looked up to see the brown-haired, green-eyed woman staring down at Ginny with concern.

"Dammit, Jules," Draco snapped.

"What?" She interrupted. "I can't see if the poor girl wants something to eat?"

"No, you --"

"I'm fine, thank you." Ginny interrupted. Draco saw her try to smile up at the woman, but also knew how striking Julie's green eyes were. It was one of the reasons he stuck around. Julie seemed to evaluate the situation once more before Draco's annoyance won over her own concern and she retreated.

"She's sweet," Ginny said offhandedly.

"What are you doing, Weasley?" Draco asked seriously. He expected her to become suspicious and accusatory, but she just sighed.

"I don't know." She replied honestly.

"You'll have to change your appearance. I can't stop everyone from calling them." He said seriously.

"I know," she sighed. She seemed to be lost in another world - it was eerie how many of his own mannerisms she possessed. He wanted to confront her, to get the answers to every question he had about her, about the war, about his family, but he remembered all too well his own exodus. He remembered finally making the decision, leaving everything behind. He remembered changing his appearance, hoping no one would see through his pathetic attempts to escape and send him back. He remembered stepping into Muggle London and getting a hold of a bottle of vodka. He remembered waking up in Julie's flat the next morning, hoping to Merlin he hadn't done something really stupid.

He let it slide as she began to sip her water, clutching onto the glass with white knuckles. He thought about getting another shot, but that would involve bringing Dave to the table, and as much as Draco liked the guy, he was always a little overcurious and concerned about his customers. So he decided to just suck it up and do this without alcohol.

They sat in silence for a long time as Draco contemplated the implications of her appearance at the bar. Thousands of bars in the country, and she had to stumble into his. One of three places he entered these days, and she had found it. If she ever went back, there were no memory charms strong enough to keep his life a secret. If she didn't go back, she'd need a place to stay until she got her feet on the ground and adjusted to life as a Muggle - and she'd need to get rid of that damned wand he was sure was still in her pocket. He shook his head at that thought - he still carried his around, just in case. He wasn't ever going down without a fight.

"What?" She asked, beginning to look a little calmer. He shook his head again.

"Just trying to figure out what to do with you, Weasley." He drawled. She looked down.

"I won't tell anyone," she said seriously.

"You're going back?" He countered. She shifted in her seat.

"No." She said, almost angrily.

"Look, how about I buy you a drink, and you can figure it out later." He offered. She gave him a skeptical and angry look.

"And why would you do that?" She spat, suddenly seeming suspicious.

"Cause at one point someone bought me a drink and let me crash at their flat until I figured out what the hell electricity was." He said seriously. The mention of such a Muggle thing made a look of panic cross Ginny's features.

"You'd...what are you doing?" She said, her anger cracking.

"I'm dead, remember?" He said impatiently. "What could I possibly do?"

"Are you scaring this poor girl?" Julie demanded from behind him.

"Would you stop doing that?" He snapped, turning around to face her. "I was just about to tell you you could come over here." He said with a scowl.

"You were?" Julie asked hopefully.

"You were?" Ginny said, frightened, at the same time.

"Yes, I was." Draco said defensively. He moved so he was sitting next to Ginny and waved Dave down. "A round of shots, on me." He called. Dave nodded and brought over three shot glasses and a bottle of vodka.

"Aw, c'mon, Dave! Join us!" Julie said, flashing a bright smile at the bartender. He smirked.

"Nah, I can't." He said, shaking his head.

"You most certainly can!" Julie retorted. "No one needs you and you have to meet Damon's new friend! Or old friend. Or something - I'm sorry," she said, turning to Draco, "I don't know how to refer to her." Draco turned to look at her, trying to figure out how to introduce her to them, but she seemed to understand and took over.

"Sarah," Ginny said with a small smile. "My name...is Sarah." Julie grinned and stuck out her hand, which Ginny tentatively shook.

"Well, Sarah, it's very lovely to meet you! Sorry to say, but Damon here is quite tight-lipped about his past so I have no idea who you are --"

"Good God, woman, do you ever stop?" Draco said, eyes wide at Julie.

"I try not to." She shrugged. Ginny's face finally broke out into a smile.

"Yes, well, I wouldn't exactly expect to be in any of his stories anyway." She said quietly.

"Why not?" Julie demanded with a grin. "You're beautiful! I'm sure you two were smitten or something." Draco nearly stopped breathing as Ginny's hand flew to her mouth and her eyebrows shot up. "What? No?" Julie asked. "Did I say something wrong?" She asked, confused.

"Are you going to join us?" Ginny asked, looking up at Dave, trying desperately to change the subject.

"No--"

"Yes," Julie interrupted, grabbing his sleeve and pulling him into the seat next to her. "He most definitely is. And he's going to drink. And it will be fantastic." She grabbed a shot glass and shoved it in his direction, quickly standing up and running to the bar to grab a fourth one. She made it back before Dave had much time to protest, and forced him to pour the drinks. He poured all four shots, finally giving in.

Julie was the first to raise her glass and everyone followed suit.

"So. What are we toasting, then?" She asked pointedly. Draco looked at Ginny and smirked, and she finally softened, relaxing in the friendly atmosphere.

"Here's to you," he said quietly, shaking his head. "And here's to me." And with that, he downed his shot in one gulp, knowing that the two of them had more in common at that moment than he ever imagined they would. She understood, too, as she followed his lead. Julie and Dave seemed to be lost, but drank anyway.

"Sarah here," Draco began seriously, looking Julie in the eye to make sure she understood, "is going to stay with me for awhile. And you two aren't going to call that number." Julie looked skeptical, but Ginny must have looked really pathetic, because she acquiesced.

As the night wore on, and the bottle grew empty, the four sat around that table - Dave desperately trying to get away, Julie talking incessantly and keeping Dave from leaving unless she saw a customer, Ginny listening to everything Julie had to say without interruption, and Draco ignoring them all in favor of his own mind. He knew that tomorrow he would have to deal with her, and her aspirations of a new life. Tonight, however, he was going to try and have fun, maybe even listen to Jules for once, and he was going to drink. A lot.


End file.
